Moon Menu Trail: One giant bite for mankind

Wapakoneta celebrates the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in a delicious way

Wapakoneta, astronaut Neil Armstrong’s hometown, has come up with a delicious way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of man’s first step on the moon.

More than a dozen restaurants, bars, ice cream and coffee shops and a brewery are participating in the Moon Menu Trail, a culinary tribute to the first lunar landing in 1969.

Armstrong was born in his grandparents’ farmhouse west of Wapakoneta in 1930. The family moved into town when Armstrong was 13 years old.

After graduating from Blume High School in 1947, he headed to Purdue University on a Navy scholarship to study aeronautical engineering. The rest is history.

The Moon Menu Trail is part of a year of festivities in Wapakoneta and Auglaize County marking the Apollo II mission to the moon. Ten days of celebration, including a hot air balloon rally, 50th anniversary parade and the Summer Moon Festival will be held July 12-21.

The food offerings, most from independent restaurants, have been especially created for the anniversary.

Here’s a sampling of the “galaxy of great food,” whose clever names and appealing combinations are a great excuse for a road trip.

Let’s eat dessert first. Scoops, an ice cream shop at 725 W. Auglaize St., just a few blocks from Armstrong’s boyhood home, has three delights on the menu.

The “Hometown Hero Layered Sundae” is a combination of Armstrong’s favorites. Black raspberry syrup and chocolate chunks are layered between three tiers of vanilla ice cream and topped with whipped cream.

The “Moon Pie Tornado” is vanilla ice cream loaded with graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate chunks with a slice of Moon Pie on top and the “Galaxy A Swirl” is a combination of raspberry and blueberry swirls in vanilla ice cream.

Don’t forget about breakfast. The Lucky Steer restaurant, 1381 Bellefontaine St., is serving “CinnaMoon Pancakes” with cinnamon craters, sugary glaze and cream cheese topping.

The family-owned restaurant’s fluffy pancakes caught the eye of an editor for the Food Network Magazine and they will be featured on a full-page in the next issue.

Bob Evans, 1550 Saturn Drive, is serving up “Houston we have a Pot Roast!” — a beef roast with caramelized onions, mashed potatoes with gravy, carrots and scallions.

There are plenty of drinks to raise a toast to the moon mission anniversary.

“First on the Moon Pale Ale,” is a specialty brew available at Moeller Brew Barn, 8016 Marion Drive in Maria Stein, on tap at area bars and restaurants, and can be purchased in cans at area retail stores.

Kick back with an “Armstrong and Buzzed Shooter” at J. Marie’s, 7 W. Auglaize St. The drink is a combination of vanilla vodka, grenadine and blue curacao. Or you can try the “Full Moontini,” a mix of grape vodka, blue curacao, lemonade and sour mix.

A map and full list of food and beverage from participating restaurants and a calendar of Wapakoneta's First On The Moon festivities can be found at firstonthemoon.org.

Moon Menu Trail participating businesses:

🌕 Cloud 9 Café 

102 W. Auglaize St.

419-738-6757

🌕 Lucky Steer 

1381 Bellefontaine St.

419-738-6464

🌕 Max’s Dairy 

901 Bellefontaine St.

419-738-7712

🌕 Alpha Café 

7 E. Auglaize St.

419-738-2013

🌕 Winans Coffee & Chocolate 

24 E. Auglaize St.

419-738-7946

🌕 LaGrande Pizza 

16 S. Blackhoof St.

419-738-6050

🌕 Scoops 

725 W. Auglaize St.

419-738-8200

🌕 Al’s Woody’s Restaurant 

9 N. Wood St.

419-738-9111

🌕 Bob Evans Restaurant 

1550 Saturn Drive

419-738-7603

🌕 McDonalds 

1376 Bellefontaine St.

419-738-7264

🌕 Moeller Brew Barn 

8016 Marion Drive

Maria Stein

419-925-3005

🌕 J. Marie’s 

7 W. Auglaize St.

419-674-2436

🌕 City Bakery 

20 W. Auglaize St.

419- 738-2317

About the Author